Research Process
What if I need help with these steps?
A librarian can help you with most of these steps. See the homepage of this guide for how to contact us. If you need help writing your paper or if you need someone to proofread your paper, visit the Writing Center in the Center for Academic Success (Fisher, 2nd floor, Room 202). View their hours.
How do I know which database to search?
General/Interdisciplinary Searches: Library Search
Subject/Major Specific Searches: Pick your subject from the list of A-Z Databases; also see our Research & Subject Guides
Books & Other Print/Physical Resources: Library Catalog
How do I cite my sources?
See our Citation Guides for help with MLA, APA, Chicago, and more.
Want more tips for how to complete these steps?
See EBSCO's Recipe for Research handout.
Assignment Calculator
- Assignment CalculatorHow long will it take you to do your research paper? Use this calculator to help you plan how to complete your research and written paper on time. This tool is from the university of Minnesota.
Finding a Book on the Shelf
1. Get the book's call number from the Library Catalog. (Example: PS3607.R432928 T87 2017)
2. If you don't have time to pull the book yourself, or if you're not in the library, click the "Request" option. Someone at the library will pull the book for you, and you can pick it up at the front desk.
3. Notice what floor and what collection the book is from. Go to that floor, and take the call number with you. If you need an elevator, it is located at the center of each floor. See our map for details.
4. To locate the book on the shelf, break the call number up into smaller lines as it will appear on the spine of the book. See below:
| PS | The first line, the Letter Line, is for the general subject of the book. Books are first shelved alphabetically by this line. To see what subjects the letters stand for see the Library of Congress Classification Outline. |
| 3607 | The second line, the Whole Number Line, is read as a whole number and shelved in numeric order. 36 comes before 3607, and 3685 would come after. |
| .R432928 | The third line is shelved alphabetically, then numerically. Read this number as a decimal. .R432928 will come before .R5. |
| T87 | Not all call numbers will include the same amount of lines. They can range between 3 and 6 lines. Additional lines may be for copy numbers or dates. |
| 2017 | A line with a year reflects the publication year of the book. This line is shelved in chronological order. |
5. Need some practice first? Check out Kent State University's Call Number and Shelving Tutorial. Need a visual? Check out Virginia Tech University's handout.
6. Take your book(s) to the front desk with your SU I.D. to check out the book(s). Or, if you can't locate a book, ask for help at the desk.
